Valley Days
by The Fiercesomest Dragon Ever
Summary: A collection of oneshots centered around everyday life in the Valley of the Wind. In other words, plotless, lighthearted fun. Movie based, though I might throw in a few details from the manga here and there.
1. Fun to be had with a bucket and shovel

_Author's note: There should be more Nausicaa fanfics. Ahem, yeah. And also, I haven't read the manga, so there isn't even a HINT of a spoiler in that aspect. There are a couple movie spoilers, but nothing earth-shattering. Now that I've gotten that out, I just wanted to ask... really, why aren't there any Nausicaa stories under 'humor'? Is it just not done? Darn it, I wish people would tell me these things..._

_Anyways, I hope you enjoy the story!_

_Disclaimer: All I own is this keyboard, and you don't want it, trust me. (the space bar squeaks like a caffeinated mouse.)_

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The afternoon sun shone high over the peaceful Valley of the Wind. Things were returning to normal after the invasion of the Tolmekians four months ago. Everyone did their part in restoring the Valley to its previous condition; rebuilding the damaged windmills, flattening ruts in the ground left by the tanks, and finishing any general cleanup. 

On this particular day, we find our esteemed Princess Nausicaa as she has been since the restoration began; bright and cheerful, beloved by all, and completely besmirched from the elbows down in dirt, ashes, and good, honest sweat, working with a crew of valley dwellers to replant the great forest they had lost to the infectious toxins of the wasteland. Though her blue coat had taken on more of a grayish hue over the past few weeks, (even with frequent washes), her spirit remained as joyful and vibrant as her unbound, flame-red hair.

"Princess Nausicaa! Princess Nausicaa!" Two young Valley girls, by the names of Nari and Kitsu respectively, scrambled up the hill to the edge of the burned forest, laughing and tripping over each other. They collapsed in a giggling heap on the new-grown grass in front of the smiling princess. Nausicaa rested her shovel on the ground near the small sapling she had been tending.

"Be careful, you two," She reprimanded the girls gently, but all the same giving them her full attention in anticipation of what they had come to tell her. Teto flicked his large, fox-like ears forward and steadied himself on the princess's shoulder.

Nari disentangled herself from her friend and leapt up to pull Nausicaa by the hand. "He's asleep! C'mon!" Kitsu took the princess's shovel in one hand and joined Nari in tugging Nausicaa along.

"Who's asleep? Where are we going?" Nausicaa laughed as she allowed herself to be dragged by the younger girls.

"You'll see!"

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Near the western edge of the valley, a large windmill stood, ever turning in the constant wind. On the green slope just in front of the stone structure, a single figure lay basking in the afternoon sun.

Asbel of Pejite had been visiting the valley for the past week, helping repair walls and fields that had been damaged by the Tolmekian's airships. The sleeves of his cream-colored work shirt were rolled up to the elbow to keep them from getting in the way of the day's work.

At the moment, however, he was taking a break. Really, he'd been doing so much these past few days, he felt like his hands would fall off if he so much as _touched_ another stone, weed, or shovel. A guy was entitled to a little rest every now and then, right?

He heaved a contented sigh and pushed his round, brownish-orange cap over his eyes, not even suspecting that he was being watched.

-------

"Asbel? I thought he was helping Mito and the others fix the bridge to the castle." Nausicaa spoke in a hushed voice from where she stood behind the windmill.

The two younger girls giggled, "He's supposed to be!"

"Oh, is he?" The princess dropped into a crouch so she was at eye level with Nari and Kitsu. "Well then, we should wake him." Her brown eyes sparkled mischieviously.

-------

'_Make way, make way for King Asbel! Most handsome, able, confident, brave, trustworthy, and incredibly brilliant man in all of Pejite!'_ The armor clad flagbearer in his dream announced for all to hear.

Then Asbel himself, clad in his finest array, strode through the cheering crowd of his beloved subjects.

'_Hooray for King Asbel!'_

'_May he never feel the effects of the toxic jungle!'_

'_Make way, make way!'_

"Asbel! Wake up!" This shout was decidedly clearer than the others. He furrowed his brow to try and think what it meant, but didn't get the chance before…

_CLANG!_

"Ah!" Asbel shot upright, his hands clapped over his ears. Two girls, one holding a shovel, the other a metal bucket, ran laughing and shouting up the hill and around the side of the large windmill.

His hat dropped to the grass as he stumbled to his feet in pursuit, "Hey, get back here!"

Suddenly, Asbel skidded to a halt. The girls were probably going to circle around the building to try and lose him. Sprinting around the other side of the windmill, he expected to see the two kids, shovel and bucket in hand, look surprised and run.

Instead, he crashed headlong into the princess of the Valley of the Wind.

"Ah!" The two tumbled to the ground, a tangle of arms and legs.

"A-ah, Nausicaa!" Asbel scrambled to get off, "I'm sorry, uh… did you see a couple of kids run this way?"

"It's okay." Nausicaa laughed and sat up in the grass, allowing Teto, who had leapt clear of the collision, to scurry up her arm and onto her shoulder as her friend leapt to his feet, looking every which way for the miscreants who had wakened him. "They're probably hiding in the fields."

"Figures…" He grumbled, offering a hand to the princess, "My ears are going to ring for a month. Hitting a bucket over someone's head… where do they get ideas like that?"

"Who knows?" Nausicaa's eyes danced with mirth as Asbel pulled her to her feet.

"Hmph." Asbel grunted in annoyance as he scanned the fields along the hill. Finally, he shrugged and turned to the princess, "So... what brings you to this side of the valley, Nausicaa?"

"I'm on my way back to tend the new forest." She reached a hand up to still Teto, who was playfully chasing his tail. "And you?" Asbel started as he recalled what he was supposed to be doing.

"I was… uh… just… going to the castle to help finish repairing the bridge!" He rubbed the back of his neck, giving Nausicaa a hopefully suspicion-averting grin.

The princess stifled a giggle, "Well, I'm sorry for stopping you. I'll see you later, okay?" Next thing he knew, she'd vaulted a low stone wall a few yards off. Turning to him, she waved once, "Bye, Asbel!"

The prince watched, feeling as though he was somehow missing something, as Nausicaa raced up the hill.

Suddenly, two girls broke out from the cover of a row of shrub-like plants. They ran, laughing, after the princess; one carrying a shovel, the other a metal bucket. The three of them paused on the crest of a hill to wave at him, Nausicaa's voice almost lost in the wind as she called.

"Oh, and Asbel! Don't forget your hat!"

He blinked, his short hair ruffling in the breeze. How did she know he hadn't just left his hat in his room at the castle? How _could_ she have known unless… "Nausicaa, you-!"

With a final wave, the princess and her two accomplices disappeared over the hill.

Asbel watched them go, laughing at how easily he'd fallen for the trick.

"And the score stands," he bent to retrieve his hat from the sunny slope on his way back to his work at the castle, "Nausicaa: one. Asbel: zero."

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_Author's second note: Was it any good? Should I write another?_


	2. Foraging

Author's note: Sorry for the loooong delay in updates... I was waiting for my beta to see the movie!

Thanks muchly for the reviews! -munches on cookie-

Disclaimer: I wish I owned Nausicaa... but I don't.

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When Lord Yupa had first brought the little fellow, scared out of his wits and nearly catatonic with fear, in the pouch at his waist from the Toxic Jungle, Teto had been small. A mere pup, as it were. His downy yellow and sepia striped coat stuck out in all directions; his oversized ears nearly too big for his tiny head. 

Two years had passed since then, and now a fully-grown Teto scurried into the dinning hall. He was a good size now; as big as a house cat. His fur gleamed in the light of the torch-candles. The fox-squirrel pricked up his ears, still large and sensitive as ever, sniffing the air and moving his head with small, jerking movements. Intelligent green eyes suddenly focused on the object of their search. Bushy tail thrust into the air joyously, he chattered and scampered like a puppy to the table, and, in a single leap, to his master's shoulder.

The red-haired girl he now perched on seemed used to this behavior, as she continued eating her meal with a calm air, occasionally joining the conversation the other people around her were having. After an initial sniffing and cocking of the ears, Teto paid no mind to the other people. They were familiar to him. What more pressingly grabbed at the fox-squirrel's busy intellect was the food on his master's plate.

Grain-bread, fruit from the fields, and a small bit of berry-green. Berry-green was a particularly drawing dish for Teto. Consisting mostly of crushed berries and spice, the food was pleasantly tart with an aftertaste comparable to cinnamon. Teto fixed his emerald gaze on the food. He new the rules about taking food from the table, but if he could somehow ask his master… He nuzzled his face against her ear.

A hand reached up and brushed his sleek coat, but no food was offered. Hm. Not discouraged, he continued nuzzling, slipping across the girl's shoulders to try her other ear. However, the only result was to be gently transferred to his master's lap. It seemed a different plan was in order.

He scurried back onto her shoulder and stared at the side of her head with unblinking determination. Her shoulder shifted under his weight. He was, after all, about the same weight as a house cat, and house cats are rather heavy on one's shoulder. His master was somewhat used to it by now, however. Teto chattered softly and licked her ear with his rough little tongue. Teto waved his tail to the right to keep his balance as she giggled. Her hand came up again to stroke him, it lowered briefly, then came up again with, Yes! Food!

Oh, but it wasn't the berry-green. He took it anyway, swallowing it quickly, then ducked through her orangey-red hair and began grooming her other ear. Maybe it would work a second time.

After a number of minutes, she brushed his face away and rubbed her over-groomed ear, reprimanding him in a gentle voice. Teto cocked his head to the side. Why was he being chastised? It was her own fault for not giving him the food!

He draped himself across the back of her neck, looking very much like a living scarf. All the while his little mind raced, concocting another plan.

Teto's nose twitched as he watched his master's hand travel from the plate, to her mouth. Ah, now she was using a torn-off piece of her bread to scoop up some of the berry-green! The hand moved to her mouth again. The bit of bread was eaten with the berry-green. Teto pricked his ears forward as this was repeated a second time. A plan was formulating in his clever brain. He flexed his paws, unconsciously pulling at his master's coat. Now he just had to wait for her to bring the bread back to her mouth once more.

Teto's ears cocked with annoyance as she laughed at something one of the other humans was saying. The man was making large gestures, nearly flinging his food across the room. Perhaps Teto would have had better luck getting food from him… but no. His master was cleaning the last of the berry-green from her plate with the bread. Now was his chance!

The astute fox-squirrel watched the food intensely as it approached his master's mouth. Watching. Watching. Then, just as her mouth opened, he clenched his paws and thrust his furry cheek against the side of her chin, causing her hand to go astray and smear the berry-green across her cheek.

"Teto!" There was a hint of laughter in her voice, though not as much as there was in the others around her. However, none of this mattered to the victorious fox-squirrel, who joyously licked the berry-green from his master's face.

Abruptly, he was swept into another human's arms and carried from the dinning room, to a door leading outside. There, he was set in the grass, "Can't have you disrupting dinner, now can we? Go run some of that energy out."

The door closed, and Teto was left outside. He twitched his striped tail. Shut away from the dinner table. Regardless of this, only one thought ran through his diabolical little mind as he sat in the grass, licking the last traces of berry-green from his whiskers: Success!

After thoroughly grooming himself all over, Teto trotted to the wall of the castle, scampered up the side, and slipped in an open window. There, satisfied with his adventures, he curled up on the sill and went to sleep.

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I think this one turned out better than the first. Should I write another? 


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